There are several missile systems having various applications for strategic and defense purposes. Such systems include air-to-air, air-to-ground, ground-to-air, and ground-to-ground missiles. A typical missile may have any one of a number of targeting systems known to those skilled in the art. For example, ground-to-ground missiles, such as cruise missiles, one type of which is the Tomahawk Missile, includes a Digital Scene Mapping Area Correlation (DSMAC) guidance system which uses a mapping of the terrain in order to guide the missile to a predetermined geographic area. When the cruise missile reaches the predetermined area, a target is selected and the missile homes in upon the target. Another example of a guided missile is an air-to-air missile. For example, an Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) uses radar to lock in on distant objects to which the missile is guided. Some surface-to-air missiles also use radar guidance systems to lock on to airborne targets. Further yet, some air-to-ground missiles use radar or laser based guidance systems to home in upon a target illuminated by a laser signal.
With the constant improvements in weaponry, the range of several of the missiles discussed above is rather substantial. When a missile has a substantial range, the missile can sometimes wander into friendly or neutral airspace and detonate. Current missile guidance systems do not presently enable the missile to determine its absolute position to prevent it from wandering into unwanted air spaces. A missile wandering into undesired airspace could potentially cause unwanted damage. Thus, there exists a need to implement a self-destruct feature in a missile which operates in accordance with the absolute, global position of the missile.
Thus, it is the object of the present invention to provide a missile which can determine its absolute, global position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a missile which determines its absolute, global position and determines if the absolute, global position is within acceptable or unacceptable airspace.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a missile having a self-destruct feature which causes the missile to self-destruct when the missile enters unacceptable air space.